The Final Battle: Ron's POV
by EmeraldFire512
Summary: "Bloody Hell. I swear, if Harry survives this, I'll kill him." Ron's thoughts and feelings during the final battle.  Rated for mild language and mild violence. RWHG, HPGW, NLLL ships. MAJOR DH SPOILERS! also  minor spoilers for all of the books.
1. Chapter 1: Powerless

**A/N: **Well, here I am with more! This is the fic in answer to that poll I posted. But don't worry, the is _so_ much more where this came from. **Underage Gryffindors** in the editing process, **A Walk In The Chamber **is as well, so as soon as I am next able to get on a computer. So be on the look out for those, as well as anything eles, I might happen to jot out. So, R, R, and enjoy! As always!

Disclaimer for entire fic: I OWN NOTHING.

**The Final Battle: Ron's POV**

"Okay, let's let him down nice and easy now."

As Ron Weasley spoke, he and Dean Thomas began to lower the still, lifeless body of Dennis Creevy down next to that of his older brother.

As Dean walked away to find another body, Ron heaved a sigh and ran a weary hand through his hair. He looked down the line to see George still kneeling beside Fred's body, not even crying any more, just hollow. Hollow and empty. He was like a human abyss, a void to all emotion without his twin. Ron still couldn't believe it. He found it hard to truly believe that Fred was dead. Although he had known that people would have to die, he really had never considered Fred's death as a possibility. He even now half expected Fred to jump up and laugh at them all for moping. If he hadn't seen it happen, well, he probably wouldn't have believed it at all.

As he absentmindedly wandered off to look for more bodies, Ron saw Ginny in the distance trying to comfort a younger girl. At least he knew that the rest of his family was safe. His mother, Ginny, and Fleur were all helping with the wounded, while Bill, Charlie, and Percy were helping to round up the stray Death Eaters for Azkaban. His father was helping Kingsley come up with a plan, and Hermione was helping McGonagall with some of the urgent magical repairs. So, all of the people whom Ron loved were present and accounted for.

All except one. Ron hadn't seen Harry since he and Hermione had left him standing at the entrance to the great hall. He had been to overcome with grief at that point to notice, but as the shock had ebbed away a bit, he had noticed Harry absence. Upon noticing this, he had simply assumed he was by Remus's body. Remus has been like a father to him, and it was sad really that Harry had lost yet another father figure. And Remus had been Harry last real connection to his parents, the last of the marauders. And now he was gone too, leaving his son fatherless.

It had only been when they had all split up to complete their respective tasks that Ron had realized that Harry was no were to be found. Ron sincerely hoped that Harry had not gone to meet Voldemort. Yet, as much as he hated to admit it, he knew that that was probably the truth. He had known Harry for seven years now, and Harry had never been content to let other's put themselves in danger for him. He had always felt that he had to do things for themselves. He had never understood that Ron and Hermione had and always would be them for him. No matter what. Deep down, Ron knew that Harry had gone to meet Voldemort, he just had to hope that he would come out of it alive.

Well he had to didn't he? Wasn't that the way the stories went? Good conquered evil, and the hero went on to live happily ever after. Merlin knows that Harry would deserve it, as Voldemort had given him precious little time to be happy for the past sixteen years. He and Ginny would finally have a chance to become a proper couple, which would make Ginny very happy.

They would then grow up, and they would get married. Then he and Harry would truly become brothers, and his mother would finally be able to claim Harry as her own son. He and Harry would become aurors, and they would make a great team, rounding up more dark wizards than ever before. They would each have families, married to the loves of their lives, and would be best mates forever. That would be how a proper fairy tale would end.

But life wasn't a fairy tale. Harry's entire life, from that fateful night almost seventeen years ago now, had proved this. He had survived so much over the years, he had done things that most people would have been scared to death even thinking of. He had fought Voldemort at the end of their first year, slain a basilisk at the end of their second, fought off over a hundred dementors at the end of their third, made it through the tri-wizard tournament, watched Cedric die, and dueled Voldemort at the end of their fourth.

That year man him strong, as he became a harder man then Ron could have ever fathomed being at that point. Then all throughout their fifth year he had faced ridicule and slander for telling the truth. That year he had also led them in battle at the ministry, and watched Sirius die. That had torn him to pieces, and he had become more distant than ever. Little did we know that he had just learned of the prophecy. The one that stated, "Neither can live while the other survives."

When Harry had told Ron and Hermione about it, Ron was terrified. Terrified, because he was powerless. All I could do was sit and listen to his best mate's fate, and there was nothing he could do about it. In the end, it would have to be either him or Voldemort, and Ron was powerless in the choosing.

_Harry just has to be alright, he just has to survive this. _Ron thought to himself. His reverie was halted abruptly by a familiar voice.

"Ron." Ron looked up to see the round, now scarred face of Neville Longbottom.

"Neville."

Neville gazed down at the floor awkwardly for a moment before asking the question he had clearly come to ask, "Just out of curiosity, what is the plan?"

"The plan?" Ron repeated, dumbstruck.


	2. Chapter 2: Forgotten Goodbyes

A/N: Well, Happy Holidays everyone! As a gift to all of my loyal readers, I finally decided to sit down and write the second chapter of my fic. Also look for the next chapter of The Final Battle: Ginny's POV sometime this week. And possibly, in the spirt of the holidays, one of my new fics.

So enjoy this next installment, and remember, it's the holidays, let me know you care by reviewing!

**Chapter Two: Forgotten Goodbyes**

"What plan?" repeated Ron, dumbstruck.

"You know, the plan?"

"Neville, what in the bloody hell are you talking about?"

"Well, Harry said..."

"Harry?" Ron felt his breath catch in his throat. "Neville, when did you talk to Harry? Where is he?"

Ron watched Neville anxiously for his response.

"Don't know. He told me that I had to kill the snake, and then he disappeared under his cloak again."

"Did he say where he was going, what he was doing?"

"No, he just…" Neville's round, scarred face suddenly turned pale, "you don't think that he… he said he wasn't, he said there was plan…"

But Ron didn't wait for Neville to finish his mottled thought. He turned and ran off into the crowd. Where could he be? He had to be somewhere. As he ran frantically through the crowd, searching for any sign of Harry whereabouts or existence, he spotted Hermione off in the distance helping Professor McGonagall to repair the gaping holes in the previously grand staircase that graced the front hall. Now it looked more like a large pile of rubble than anything. When he reached them, Hermione gave him a small smile and grasped his hand.

"How is George holding up?"

He sighed in return, "as well as can be expected." Then he decided to cut straight to the chase. "Hermione, you wouldn't happen to know where Harry is, would you?"

At his word her expression immediately became wary, "No, why?"

"Well," Ron started uncomfortably, "because I have no idea, and no one has seen him since we returned to the shrieking shack."

"He wouldn't actually…" Professor McGonagall, apparently deciding there was no use in pretending that she had not been listening, paused in the middle of the repair she had been making to turn and look from Ron to Hermione. As if gathering the worst from their eyes, she returned to her repairs with a grimmer set to her mouth.

"Well," started Hermione bravely, "maybe he didn't, maybe he's just helping Kingsley with something…" yet even as she spoke silent tears fell softly down her cheeks. Ron pulled her closer to wipe them away while McGonagall tacitly moved to sort out a crater on the other side of the stairwell to give the new couple more privacy.

"I'm sorry," started Hermione again, "it's just that he is truly my best friend." Ever since first year, it's been you, me, and Harry. I have loved you nearly all of that time, but I had also always loved Harry…"

"…Like a brother." Finished Ron, remembering what Harry had told him the night that they had destroyed the locket, "I know, I feel the same way. Hell, he might as well be my brother, as he and Ginny will most likely be hearing wedding bells in their future…"

A small smile began to spread across her face as she looked at Ron. He found it amazing that something as simple as a smile could still occur amongst all of the grief and pain.

But all too soon, that moment was shattered. As a voice colder than ice chocked out all of the warmth and conversation. With a hand stronger than that of death himself, it strangled all happiness and crushed all humor. Instinctively, Ron reached out and pulled Hermione into his arms as he looked around for the source of the voice.

"_Harry Potter is dead."_

No. No, no, _no._ That just could not be possible, just, _no._ Harry dead. No. With those words, Ron felt that the ice cold voice had turned to a hand which had reached and was not twisting his gut. He couldn't breathe, he couldn't think. Just, no. That was all that was going trough his head. No.

"_He was killed as he ran away, trying to save himself while you laid down you lives for him"_

No, Harry wasn't dead, it was impossible for him to die; this was not how things were supposed to go. And he would never run away from the battle. Never.

"_We bring you his body as proof that your hero is truly gone."_

_No._ Thought Ron, _The wizarding world isn't ready to lose their savior. His family is not ready to lose another son. Ginny isn't ready to lose her boyfriend. Hermione isn't ready to lose her best friend, and neither was he. _

Ron didn't really listen to the rest of the speech. He just stood there in shock, clutching Hermione's hand in his as his link to the land of the living, a reminder that she was still there. When the time came face the truth, he numbly followed Hermione's gentle touch as she guided him to the doors and they join the defenders of Hogwarts on a journey for truth.

A/N: well I hope you enjoyed, have a great holiday, and please review to tell me you love me!


	3. AN: Explanations & Apologies

Hello all. I am very sorry to get your hopes up, but this is not a new chapter. I decided to post this note in all of my stories that need to be updated as a way of apologizing and explaining. So, the apology to start;

I am truly sorry it has taken me so long to update all of these stories. They have constantly been rolling around in my mind, along with many new ones, but have just not had a chance to work on any of them. I started my freshman year at college this year, and free time has been pretty sparse. I have worked on them as a way to escape from the endless papers I had to write and reading I had to do, but it was never more than a sentence or three at a time. The desire to write and the guilt of not updating often combined to make an impressive argument, but I told myself that I would write like I have never written before during my January intersession. I got all the way through the semester, (surprisingly) still in one piece and (perhaps even more surprisingly) with grades that I am proud of. Unfortunately, my notorious bad luck once again reared its ugly head towards the end. My beloved laptop sputtered and died during finals week. Thankfully, it waited until after I had completed and handed in my Astronomy term paper. The same could not be said for my final Film portfolio. Long story short, I finished the portfolio, handed it in, packed up, and headed for home. Currently, my laptop is being repaired and should hopefully be ready to go within the next week or two. Hopefully the hard drive will still be fully intact – I really haven't gotten around to doing a lot of backing up lately. Take this as a lesson in Murphy's Law if you'd like. In the mean time my itch to write has not abated, nor have my ideas. I have several new ones started, many that need editing, and many that I just need to move on with. Many of these new ones come from fandoms I have yet to publish for. I may be able to get something (or even some things) out before my computer returns, with the files I was able to find on my flash drives and random chapters that have been scribbled in notebooks during lecture. If not, be on the lookout for AT LEAST one chapter – probably in The Final Battle: Ron's POV, which I have been working on recently. It's all a matter of the free time I have (which is not much during the holiday season) and access to computers. But the outlook seems fairly decent.

Again, I am really sorry that I have not been able to update as much as I would have liked to. I really appreciate all of you reading these stories that I put so much work into, and I really to appreciate every review I receive. There have been days where I am completely down, and have receive a review that immediately makes everything seem a lot better. So thanks so much you guys, and I hope you all have a wonderful, enjoyable, pleasant holiday season, and a bright 2011!


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